The top six are performing “country and rock & roll,” (2 songs for each performer) so we should be in for a treat. Let’s see how it plays out - here are my thoughts, offered as always, prior to hearing what any of the judges have to say about any of the performers...

Jena: “Barracuda” - great pick for her to wail on. She owned it, she does a great job of interacting with the band, she really took it to a new level right out of the gate.

Sam: “It’s Time” - I like him, but he just isn’t transmitting his performance out to the audience. Getting people to clap in the break does not a connection make. And I think somewhere in there I may have heard a flat note, which I’ve never heard from him.

CJ: “American Woman” - What is he doing with that guitar? Sorry, tough to buy that acoustic guitarist with the electric. Seriously though, I think he would have done much better walking around with the mic stand. I liked this, though if I didn’t know about Lenny Kravitz’ cover of this song I would have been more impressed.

Alex: “Animal” - This was solid, but lacked that unique take that Alex puts onto songs. One can’t expect him to re-maneuver every song he plays, but nonetheless, it was a good pick for him. And Keith really liked lip syncing to it.

Caleb: “Sting Me” - This is a good song in that it’s a Black Crowes rocker, but it’s not one of their “better known” songs, and as a result, I don’t think it’s quite landing. I mean, you can’t compare this track to any of the popular songs that preceded it. And I would say that if it wasn’t for that last note, he would have gotten poor marks for it. But I mean, that last note. Whoah.

Jessica: “Somebody to Love” - Not unlike Jena, this song is not easy, to hit Grace Slick’s range is a feat, she’s doing a great job. I would say, 35% of the time, she gets through to the audience with a sneer or a wink or toss of the hair. But most of the time, it’s a wall.

Sam: "You’re Still the One” - Great curve ball pick for him - someone needs to tell him to get his fist away from his face when he’s holding onto the mic stand. He did fine, but he has angry eyebrows - not exactly what you want with a love song.

Caleb: “Undo It” - This feels like a bit of a cheat, from the “def leppard” school of country music. This is full-on meatloaf. I would just like to remind everyone that last year, this guy did not get out of Hollywood week. That is all.

Alex: "Always on my Mind” - That was great - this is what we have come to expect from him. Some chords got a little goofy in the middle as it seemed like the band was having trouble following all the blue notes he throws in on the guitar, but wow - gorgeous. 2nd iTunes purchase for me.

Jena: "So Small” - Well, even though I really like her and I really like Carrie Underwood, this was boring to me. I just felt like the consonants just got swallowed up by all those vowels and dripping triphthongs… I couldn’t follow it.

CJ: “Whatever It Is” - Whatever it is, it isn’t on pitch. Seriously, how do you get this far in the competition and not sing on pitch? Harry needs to take back everything negative he said to Jena and send it right over to CJ. This cannot continue...

Jessica: “Jolene” - This is another great pick for her. I’m not sure why she chose to arrange it in a rock and roll structure. She made more connections to me with this lyric, especially in the breakdown. Maybe she’s just a really good jilted lover. - great last few notes, I liked it a lot.

Last week was a good show, and it’s hard to beat the format last week, I really enjoyed David Cook. And the 80s. This week, the contestants have offered options for each other to perform. It’s a good idea and helps build good will among the contestants. They really are rooting for each other, and these song selections prove that.

So here are my thoughts on this week’s performances, offered as always, before I hear anything the judges have to say about any of this...

Caleb: “Family Tree” - In some ways it’s a good thing that he’s doing a non-popular song from a popular band - it helps us see him in his own right as a viable performer, and not a meatloaf mimic. It was strong. He’ll be back.

Jessica: “Gunpowder & Lead” - I really don’t think she will be able to fully release and develop where she needs to without time and maybe even some therapy, but I do think that that was her strongest performance thus far. She sounded great, she was credible singing the lyric, and she didn’t try to move in ways that she wasn’t capable.

Sam & Alex: “Let Her Go” - Must they Mraz everything?

CJ: “Gravity” - This is a great song pick from Caleb that might just keep him alive for another week. Now he has to figure out how to sing, emote, and give it his all without scrunching his face into oblivion. A little sharp here and there, probably still in the bottom.

Dexter: "Muckalee Creek Water” - This works for me the same way that Caleb’s number did - not familiar with the song, so it sounds like an original successful Dexter number. Solid.

Caleb & Jena: “Gimme Shelter” - Worth it all for the ending. Didn’t like the guitar mucking up with the Richards’ riff...

Alex: "A Team” - Just the right amount of integrity to the original melody and unique tweaking of an inventive artist.

Sam: "Sail Away” - He’s kind of imitating David Gray right now. Not sure what I think about that. It is interesting to have him sing a much more mature sounding/textured kind of song. Not sure it worked, but it was interesting to see. He certainly sounded good.

CJ, Jessica, Dexter: “Compass” - not much to say about that.

Jena: "Creep” - Very solid performance. Enjoyed the arrangment and the attack of her voice. She’s real. Is she a superstar? Not sure yet. But she’s getting there.

I think it might be time to shorten to an hour and a half and cut out the duets and trios… What did you think? Who is going home?

So it's STILL the top 8! They used the save on Sam last week, and thank goodness that tension is over. And thank goodness it’s 80s week! I’m ready to relive my youth and freak out about how young these kids are. So let’s do this…

I’m glad that they are having a mentor this week with David Cook. I was missing the vibe of hearing feedback from anyone besides Randy Jackson in the video pieces. However is it me or is all of David Cook’s interview footage ever so slightly out of focus?

Jena: "I Love Rock and Roll" - Great arrangement, great decision to double up the verse before getting onto the chorus. The tension and build up was exactly what she would need to pull it off.

Dexter: "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" - Perfect 80s pick for him. Not sure why the drummer played through the stop in the first verse, but he did it again the second time so it must have been a choice. I didn’t like it. My only criticism was that the last time he sang the end he dropped the word “don’t” which massively changes the meaning of the lyric. But he had fun.

Alex & Sam: “The Girl is Mine” - Perfect song to try and get Sam out of the bottom, very entertaining to think about the two of them having to learn this totally bizarre song. Was hoping they would do the talking bits too. (“I’m a lover not a fighter!”)

Malaya: "Through the Fire" - Your shoes are from the future. The whole sitting on the piano and walking down the stairs was totally unnecessary and in my opinion got her started on the wrong track for the first verse and chorus. But after she hit that high note the first time thru to the end was a powerhouse. I think she overshot it by about 18 percent. Youngness got her a bit.

So I have to say that so far David Cook has done a great job mentoring, and the clips of his feedback are fantastic. How come they haven’t been able to capture moments like that of Randy Jackson? Because they don’t exist….

Jena & Caleb: “It’s Only Love” - Holy smokes this is a boring song. Not even that dress could save this performance. Not a fan of the song, though they connected well with each other.

Jessica: "Call Me" - Well if other weeks hinted at Leather Tuscadero, this week flat out megaphoned it. This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever seen her out of the comfort zone, and that is commendable, but even then it had shades of awkward. Her voice maintained stability throughout.

JLo’s critique of Jessica was the best feedback to a female contestant from any female judge that has ever been on any season of AI ever. Fantastic.

Sam: "Time after Time" - Sam’s in trouble everyone! Bring in the tweens! He is doing better in the category of connection, and I love this song. The stripped down arrangement is lovely, I was worried that it would feel too fast, but it was very nice, and the BGVs on the chorus may have just earned him another week.

Malaya & CJ: “I Knew You Were Waiting” - I’m sorry but I still don’t get CJ. I keep waiting for someone to come over to him and kindly let him know that he is in the wrong room.

Alex: "Every Breath You Take" - This is a fantastic arrangement. This dude is a real artist. I loved the PLEASE… hold, although he was a bit flat with it. This is one I may have to download. What a fantastic piece of recorded music.

Harry, this is the first time I think that you are wrong when you are trying to parse Performer and Entertainer with Alex. The issue here is one of youth, and inexperience, not one of category. The fact that these kids haven’t figured out how to excel into the bigness of the stage and take it and own it (which they haven’t fully yet), is totally on the judges and on the producers for not grooming them to the point of entertaining. It’s a TV show for our entertainment, not for performances, and that’s on the judges.

Jessica & Dexter: “Islands in the Stream” - I can’t really take this song seriously either, as it was performed by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton but written by the Bee Gees. They’re playing it as fast as possible to get it done as quickly as possible.

CJ: "Free Fallin’" - I’m really surprised that this song was 80s. Must have been ‘89. I just checked. It was. As much as in general I don’t usually like CJ or think he belongs (see earlier post on the duet), this was pretty good - he connected his signature attack with the lyrics, and the intimacy of the verses in the first part earned the right to go off the rails in the last chorus. I didn’t like it going back down for the ending. Lost momentum and with the repeat of lyric didn’t mean much.

Caleb: "Faithfully" - The pianist just botched that opening riff. As an 80s boy going to church, that was a sin. Pyro? I actually really enjoyed that, he didn’t do much different than the original, so in that respect he honored the song. What was up with all the close ups of lip synching JLo?

So to Keith, Journey is functional like a fanny pack? What did he just say? I think he had a Paula moment.

So it's the top 8! Time was precious last night, so I'm having to make short work of my feedback - so in celebration of the top 8, I'll be offering 8 words of feedback for each performance. Here we go!

It’s "I’m with the band" week! I guess that just means the band is there. It’s not “big band.” Don’t panic.

Someone asked me last week how I thought this season was going. Here’s where I am with it:

I think so far this part of the show is suffering from a over-promise and under-deliver. Each of these potential stars seem to be a bit of deer in the headlights, and all the promise of the new judges is long gone and used up. I still think there’s the possibility that a genuine star can rise from this group, we just haven’t seen a journey with any of them. When I think about the growth curve we saw back in the day with a Carrie Underwood, or even a Scotty McCreery, you just don’t seem to see that kind of evolution with this group. It’s just kinda there for them. Someone needs to break out of it.

That being said, I think this year the choices they are making with the video packages have never been better. The “hanging out at the dinner table” scenes seem pretty authentic and they shed light on these performers. Much more so than any of the Ford commercial creations did in the past. (and that being said, they have to stop doing the spots while holding their voting numbers…)

Here are my thoughts on each performer this week, brought to you, as always, prior to hearing any of the judges’ feedback.

Alex: “Don’t Speak” - fantastic beginning. He’s turned No Doubt into Jason Mraz. Loved the arrangement. This was great, but just imagine how much better it would be if he gave even one dynamic facial expression.Majesty: “Shake it Out” - This arrangement feels like Whitney + the Machine more than Florence. That romper isn’t helping. Of the ones left, she does have spark in her eyes and has the potential to grow into a star. But she has been better than this.

Dexter: “Boondocks” - This was a great pick for him in that it feels just like what he should be doing. I still would kill for just any contestant that looked like they had something going on in their eyes.

Malaya: “The Long and Winding Road” - Lisa Bonet from a Different World? Anyone? She did very well. I like her and of course, it’s a great song. I still question whether or not she can survive the long haul, but my prediction would be that if she goes home and the “save” is still in play, the judges would use it on her.

Sam: “Hey There Delilah” - I think the light choices for this song were manipulative and an unfair advantage for mister dreamypants. And JLo’s face proved it. He did fine. But again, I am waiting for someone to come out of their well-polished shell.

Jessica: “Rhiannon” - I like the choice of a Fleetwood Mac tune, but I might have chosen a different one, like Silver Springs or Dreams. She sounded great and she was very comfortable onstage, the vibe of the song though was a little too wispy to be memorable over time.

CJ: “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” - Okay, that’s enough, he is not even singing anymore. He was so sharp on that chorus that I got a paper cut. Sometimes raw talent is just raw.

Caleb: “Dazed and Confused” - This was the best performance of the night. A perfect pick for a Zep tune, and if they cut to Jlo dancing one more time they're going to have to pay her choreographer a royalty check. It was the perfect pick because it was rock but it was also blues and gave him the opportunity to wail and make the song his own within that structure. Fantastic. He is the only one who is evolving.

Jena: “Bring Me to Life” - I thought this was a great performance. She is evolving too. Especially with the false ending moving into the money notes at the end. Strong. Enjoyable. She almost got to Caleb level. They would make a great double bill.

Wrap up:CJ. He’s got to go. That is all. The ones who have a shot at becoming stars are Caleb, Jena, Majesty and Alex.What do you think?

This week the theme is the top of the Billboard charts - which of course, means it can almost be just about anything. (anything that’s been in the top ten from 2011 to today)

Here are my thoughts on each performer this week, brought to you, as always, prior to hearing any of the judges’ feedback.

MK: “Perfect” - this is actually a great pick for her. Hold on people she’s looking in a mirror. Okay, so either she’s going to get kudos for getting through that part where she came in at the wrong time or she won’t - but in the end what made her mess up was that she actually connected with the audience members, held hands with some of them, and it threw her off - it’s totally connected to her lack of ability to connect. She has way too many walls up, and needs to get vulnerable to go further.

Dexter: “Cruise” - Who told Dexter that he should dress like Adam Lambert? I don’t think he feels comfortable in what he’s wearing - and he definitely doesn’t know what to do without his guitar. But he sounds good. Doesn’t this song have a rap in it?

Jena: “Clarity” - Okay, first of all, this is not “electronic” music. This is a pop song that is “sponsored” by an electronic DJ. Okay, now back to her. What in the heck is she wearing? Cleopatra meets Madonna. Glowsticks? What is she American Idol’s Prop Comic? Now I will say this, she did a great job making this song her own, but it is nearly impossible to sustain the energy of that chorus over and over again.

Okay, seriously. Is electronic a genre? Isn’t all music at this point electronic? For pete’s sake, all of it depends on electricity.

Alex: “Story of My Life” - What can we do to keep this moronic crowd to stop clapping on the 1 and 3? His choices when he deviates from the melody are exquisite. This was already a great song, and he made it totally awesome. This arrangement is nothing short of brilliant. My favorite moment was seeing JLo sway with reckless abandon to it. It’s like Beauty and the Geek. Genius.

Malaya: “When I Was Your Man” - She has such a pure voice. She looks like Prince as Wendy or Lisa. Her performance shows that interpretation skills are not dependent on age or experience. I loved the pulse of the aggressive part of the song coming back down to the intimacy of just her and the piano. She’s getting better and better each week.

Caleb: “The Edge of Glory” - again, he’s picking all the songs that I would love for Meatloaf to cover. But what need have I of Meatloaf when I have Caleb? I’m pretty sure I am best friends with him right now. Especially when he jumped up to the third of that melody on the second line. There was not a moment of this that I did not love.

CJ: “Invisible” - He’s the first person tonight who is still struggling with pitch. How do you get this table set for you so beautifully with the string section and everything and then grunt out notes that are so off? It’s not even emotionally acceptable to be this off. It was just off. I can’t imagine that this will get good reviews from the judges.

Jessica: “Pumped Up Kicks” - I think she did a great job with this song - this is a girl who needs to unleash her crazy eyes. I know she’s got em in there somewhere - And this is the perfect song to unleash them on. I liked this a lot for her. I’m not sure that she fully embodied the lyrics, but I’m not sure that Foster the People have ever done that either.

Majesty: “Wake Me Up” - This was a great pick for her, and a wonderful arrangement. I really liked it as it began, though not unlike a lot of the other super-pop song picks tonight, it’s very difficult to sustain the repetitiveness of the song itself. But she got close with some of those high notes on top of the melody.

Sam: “We are Young” - Once I heard that fun. was the artist, I predicted the song itself. I was wrong - I thought he would pick Carry On. With that hat, there’s no way he’s in the bottom three again. I liked this just fine, but I’m kind of over all of this at this point. Sorry Sam, but I am tired.

So I’m saying that the bottom three are MK, CJ, and Dexter. Or Jessica. But definitely MK and CJ, or anyone else with initials. What say you?

Let’s go to the movies, with American Idol! It’s the top 11, and after the wrong one went home last week, it will be interesting to see what happens…

Here are my thoughts on each performer, brought to you, as always, prior to hearing any of the judges’ feedback.

Sam: “Come Together” - So what movie is this from? Across the Universe? Yep. He gets points automatically for not saying “eyeballs” - but while I love this song, I’m not as much a fan of the tempo he has selected for the verse - or at least the arrangement - it’s missing the mystery and the levels of the original. Feels a little karaoke, but he’s gonna be fine.

Jessica: “The Sound of Silence” - Even with the goofiness with the drum coming in on the wrong beat, she did a fantastic job. That was absolutely wonderful. My only feeling was that I wish she hadn’t told us that she did this back in her set.

Harry did a great job of simultaneously calling the band out and also giving them props for being great. Live theater, things go wrong. It doesn’t mean that the drummer’s a schlep.

CJ: “Can’t You See” - Learned it from the movie “Blow?” Does anyone believe that’s the first place he heard this song? This is the best I’ve seen him since they got to the weekly live shows. The arrangement was great too, lots of highs and lows, lots of passion all the way through. And to think he was in the bottom three a couple weeks ago...

Side note: Ryan and Randy completely ruined a perfectly good improv game just now. I’m so sad.

Dexter: “Sweet Home Alabama” - Looks like they didn’t want to let him talk before singing - oh, and apparently he’s dating Xanadu. But he sounds fantastic, and I really like him a lot - my only problem is that from week to week I can’t remember his name. This was really good, but I think it translated a lot stronger in the theater than it did on television.

Ben: “Bennie and the Jets” - Look. Purple Rain is from a movie. Footloose is from a movie. This is not from a movie. 27 Dresses is not a movie. I like him fairly well, but I wasn’t crazy about this song selection. It just didn’t seem to jive with anything we had learned thus far about who he is or who he might be as an artist.

Majesty: “Let It Go” - This song is suffering from the cuts necessary to fit the format of the TV show. Also, it’s a really difficult song made famous by one of the most epic voices of our generation, and you just can’t go to head voice for the big note. But hey, it’s definitely from a movie. She’s gonna be fine, but this was like watching a gymnastic event.

Caleb: “Skyfall” - You are my friend to pick this song to sing. See now this makes me want to hear Meatloaf cover this song. Love the anticipation of the first verse, just waiting for him to blow it out. He’s gotta get to it soon though. So I think from an arrangement standpoint I might have liked this more if he had rocked out the arrangement as well, with electric guitars attacking with strong bar chords - but the last few phrases were absolutely fantastic. Front runner.

MK: “To Make You Feel My Love” - getting away from the true movie songs…. It’s like she knows what the problem is - that she can’t break through out of her skin to reach out, so she walks over to the judges hoping that some of her is going to jump out - but even though I still feel like she doesn’t have it, I will say that was the purest vocal I’ve heard her execute.

While I am disgusted and disturbed by the contestants reenacting scenes from films alongside their voting numbers, I appreciate the fact that the show seems to have no plans to mention or reference it.

Alex: “Falling Slowly” - Love this song, which is actually from a movie. I thought he did a great job, this was a great way of combining his quirkiness with something really accessible.

Jena: “Decode” - This arrangement certainly did not need a piano - I really liked her performance, but in general I wasn’t really into this song itself very much. It just didn’t seem like she understood the song, and was kind of posing through it - felt like an age gap issue. I also think that a mood song like this doesn’t seem to tell a story as clearly, and again, is harder to pull off without enough age to give it texture.

Malaya: “I Am Changing” - I appreciate that she didn’t do “that song” from this movie, but unfortunately, that’s the best song from this movie… So I thought she did a great job in general, but even more so than the last one, “leave my past behind” is a lyric that doesn’t make sense coming from a 16 year old. But wow, what an ending.

Ben, MK, and Jessica are in the bottom three in my opinion…. And either Ben or MK should go home… what do you think?

American Idol continues on, as though it has no idea that we are living in pre-Aslan Narnia… The top twelve is ready to go, and so am I - here are my thoughts regarding tonight’s performances, give to you as I see them, and as always, before the judges give them any feedback. Let’s get it started!

The theme is “home” - singers have picked a song that reminds them of home. Daughtry? Phillip Phillips? Motley Crue? I guess we’ll see...

Jena: “Suddenly I See” - Love this video background! This is solid, and is heartfelt, but ⅔ of the way through and I haven’t heard anything dynamic yet. The mix seemed tepid - just never really got out past her into the audience or through the camera.

Alex: “I Don’t Wanna Be” - This is a great song. I love how he holds his electric, very old school. He fell into a pretty good groove, but very different than the original track. I love almost everything about this guy, except that I think he has a bit of a blank canvas face issue. Some rockers/musicians can get away with that, I’m not sure he is one of them.

Jessica: “White Flag” - I need a little bit more enunciation from her. She’s almost too familiar with the song. By the time she got to the breakdown chorus though, she found it. I just think that song meant more to her than it was a catchy song that grabs all of us.

With regards to Jessica, Keith and Harry were both right. She needs to both sing in tune and with conviction. I actually think that she is trying to recapture a vibe that exists in a bar setting, where the simplicity of a thin voice with a nice melody can stop people from talking, turn their heads as they order another round. And you can underplay that vibe and come off as very credible. But this kind of performance is such a different vibe - it’s a giant spotlight, we’re already looking right at you. You can’t subtly move into that. You have to kill it.

Dexter: “Lucky Man” - Now that is how you sing with conviction. Lovely. I also really like how he sets the stage and introduces the song. He starts on his own terms, and he took his time and owned that moment.

When Harry said “you shouldn’t have sang about the Bengals,” I thought he said “The Bangles”, and was trying to remember the Manic Monday reference in the song… doh.

Emily: “Let’s Get Loud” - Okay producer, we get it, JLo knows the words to her own song… My only problem with this choice was that it isn’t a vocal song, really - it just sits in that one place, those few notes over and over again. It’s a dance tune, and it was just fine. She was a little thin on the last few notes.

Caleb: “Working Man” - I think this has to be a first, I can’t think of another competitor who has performed Rush. Maybe this will get Tony Germann to start watching? What Dexter does for authentic country, Caleb does for authentic rock and roll. That rocked and in many ways I find myself rocked to the point at which my socks seem to have left their positions where they once were on my feet.

MK: “Drops of Jupiter” - I didn’t quite know what to say about this - again, I guess that I can see the appeal, though I just don’t think she pushes through the things she’s thinking - it’s all in her head, it doesn’t get out past her mic to the audience or through the camera.

CJ: “Waiting on the World to Change” - interesting to pick a non-country song… Well that acoustic guitar playing is completely unnecessary… He pushes in ways that don’t seem to be connected to urgency. It just sounds like an effect, like an overlay. Makes me wonder if he really does have a pure, clean voice inside there. Not sure that we’ll have enough weeks with him to find out.

Sam: “Just One” - So I’m really angry with AI producers for placing him in the midst of smiling girls. It’s like they’re egging him on. He did a great job with a song that no one knows, and I liked it a lot. He is a real musician and a competent artist. I enjoyed that.

Malaya: “Take Me to the King” - Um. Wow. That was amazing. Worship just happened.

Ben: “Turning Home” - I liked it all right, but I think that I am running out of energy to watch. I must need to go to bed. He doesn’t have the personality to hold the story of country music.

Majesty: “Fix You” - I love this song. Please stop the audience from clapping to this, they are ruining the vibe. When she looks at the camera, she gets through. She has something that some of the others do not in terms of a spark - but that high note did not land correctly. It was too bad, because it was really working until then.

It’s the top 13 y’all! Well, I know it’s a new day in AI land when I was jonesing for this episode on Tuesday night, only to discover that I would have to wait until Wednesday. Why do they torture us so?

Once again, I have to hand it to the format adjustments they have made. The road to the top 13 has successfully weeded out those who really didn’t have a chance to succeed and get to #1 week after week, while letting us get to know many of those who are in the top 13 and who we will be rooting for week after week. Yes, there were some who went home last week that I liked, but I already can’t remember their names, and that has to count for something.

So here we go - I’m writing it as I see it, and as always, before I hear anything that the judges have to say about any of it. I’ve been pleased to note that last week my thoughts were very similar to those of mister Harry connick Jr, and that is great company for this season, that’s for sure.“This Is Me” is the theme - hmmm… This is really putting the song choice under the microscope.

Dexter: “Aw Naw” - This was like big and rich without the big or rich. Well, maybe the big. Kinda boring, not particularly inspired. I like rockabilly pop country at some level, but this was too karaoke for me.

Malaya: “Runaway Baby” - Well so far the contestants are 0/2 on song selection. This is not a song for a female to sing - this seemed like a “sleepover lipsync” jam session. Not good. Too much for her to handle.

Kristen: “Beautiful Disaster” - So she does pick Kelly Clarkson, but she picks the least known, unhummable song she ever recorded, from the album that everyone told her not to make. Hmmm. This is me indeed. So far I am not impressed with how the nerves are impacting these performers.So Harry thinks there is something going on with the sound mix which is why the first three have been performing out of tune. Quite possible. But I think it’s more nervous energy and lack of experience.

Ben: “Folsom Prison Blues” - He’s the first one so far to seem to sing within himself, and to actually seem to embody the notion of “This is Me” - My only complaint is that a baseball cap isn’t great for lighting to see facial expressions and whatnot. But this was fast, furious, and fun.I don’t think I can hear Ryan keep saying “Head on over to the lounge” week after week. They need to rename it or give Ryan more ways to say it.

CJ: “Radio” - I haven’t heard this song before, but Hootie sure has taken a page from Everclear’s book - isn’t this just a countrified version of “AM Radio?” This one was slightly better than Big and Poor from before, but it was still not that great. He needed to enunciate in that rapid-fire chorus. I still like this guy in that I love the offspeed pitch of his style and what he’s passionate about.How great is it that all of Randy Jackson’s bits are overshadowed by the applause in the house as the vocalist is getting ready to perform...

MK: “Satisfaction” - But not the one where you can’t get no. I actually like her voice a lot, but she has absolutely nothing going on in the face. She is not connected with her voice and body. But I liked the song and I liked it in general.

Majesty: “Tightrope” - Everything that Malaya was trying to capture by choosing “Runaway Baby”, Majesty has achieved and then some with this song pick. She stayed within herself, nailed the vocal, kicked tail and took names. Fantastic.

Jena: “The Scientist” - I like Jena, though I feel like she is vowel-challenged. Some of her choices for replacement don’t seem to be linked to accent or region, and they seem like a affectation that doesn’t seem authentic at times. But man can she belt.

Alex: “A Beautiful Mess” - Great pick for him. He is a diamond in the rough, what a clean and pure voice in the midst of a quirky artist hipster-nerd frame. Did lose the pitch a bit at the end for sure. He’s like a Bob Dylan with Art Garfunkel’s voice.

Jessica: “The Crow and the Butterfly” - Maybe I’m just a sucker for Leather Tuscadero, but I really like her voice and this song selection. The first verse had a lot of drama and interest, but by the end of the chorus, the Leather Tuscadero was wearing off a little bit. Didn’t go to the “next place.”

Emily: “Glitter in the Air” - She sounds great, very old school. She is calm and gets to the high notes with ease. Beautiful I thought.“Don’t forget where the Yang is.” - Keith Urban, country australian sage

Sam: “Unwell” - I almost feel like Sam and Alex should join forces and become the Simon and Garfunkel of the next generation. He’s great, but he isn’t doing anything revolutionary with this song, it’s not turning into a moment the way that Emily, Jena, Majesty or even Jessica did. Boring, but OMGoodness he’s cute.

Caleb: “Pressure in Time” - Well there’s some band in CA that’s going to have some increased download traffic on iTunes… Still wishing he had picked “paradise by the dashboard light” instead. This is a great song for his rocker-ness, but it’s more a song about the guitar hook than it was the melody. But wow, what an ending. He’s a confident rocker.So who’s going home? Or what about the bottom three? My money on bottom three is Malaya, Kristen and CJ - none of them did enough to escape their wildcard status…

I have to admit, I’m still not exactly sure how this top 15 gets down from 10 to how ever many - I guess I’ll find out tomorrow night. They keep saying 13, so somehow that means that 10 and 10 get to 13 total. The one thing I do know is that 5 of these guys who are psyched to sing tonight won’t get to, and that the ten that do will be voted in or out afterwards.

So here are the top ten that made the cut, and one by one I will give you my reactions to their performances, written down before I’ve heard how Keith, JLo or Harry have said their peace.

Caleb: “Stay With Me” - Meatloaf has been resurrected, and he’s in better voice and less sweaty. I was so thankful for that breakdown, because without it the uptempo jam was starting to get a bit stale. We were at his concert tonight. Fun!

Early side note - so far I am really unimpressed with the calling of cameras for the last two nights. What is going on? The timing seems way off, too many low light cuts to ppl in the audience, and then when judges are calling out for cuts, they aren’t happening. The moves away from the vocalists seem to be at inopportune times. Crazy.

C.J.: “Shelter” - I see what what Chris Daughtry was saying about the guitar, his rhythm choices didn’t immediately match the groove of the song and it wasn’t until the bass and drums and keys kicked in that I could feel it in the pocket. To be honest, this didn’t work for me. Not that he was bad, but just that this version of rasp did not get to me emotionally, though I can certainly see how it might have for others.

Emmanuel: “The Best of My Love” - Not unlike CJ, but for totally different reasons, this kind of performance is an acquired taste. He ran out of gas after the breakdown and was a bit flat on the long notes. But he owned the stage, not that anyone expected him not to do so. The short jacket and the constant cuts of him from the rear were not helpful. Not for me.

more side notes:Great quote from Harry: “You’re a great singer - so don’t forget to sing.”I didn’t like Jennifer giving Emmanuel a second song to audition with. But I’m glad that there’s enough freedom in the environment to let something like that happen.

Sam: “Babylon” - This was a great pick for who he is and what he conveys as a potential artist, though I think strategically it might not be a good pick in the category of “memorable performance.” But with his One Direction John Mayer vibe going on, he should be okay.

George: “Grenade” - That one suffered from a bit of a “one note crunch” syndrome - there was too much time spent in that one area where this song lived, and it was too much like he was squeezing out the last bit of orange juice from the rind, and it was painful. Needs levels.

Dexter: “This Old Boy” - He just sings so easy and good, this guy might even make me like country more than Scotty McCreary did. He’s another one that I will really enjoy seeing how he fares in different genres through the competition.

Honorary “you did your thing” shouted twice by JLo, the ghost of Randy Jackson is trying to get back on that judges panel….

Alex: “Volcano” - In general I do like him a lot, but also in general this song choice did not feature the best parts of his quirkiness - I hope he gets past this round, because he is such an interesting individual.

After hearing the judges rave about Alex, the only thing I can figure is that whatever he was selling in the room was well received but didn’t break through the cameras to get to us. If that remains a trend that could be dangerous for him in voting…

Malcolm: “Coming From Where I’m From” - I can tell that he’s good, but I’m distracted a bit by the repetitive gesture of his off-mic hand. And then I think he really lost the key in the middle. This song choice did nothing for me personally, and he kinda meandered about the stage, seemed purposeless, lacked storytelling.

Ben: “Soulshine” - As Ben steps into his guitar solo, now I hear the ghost of Simon Cowell saying that this “is a singing competition” - at least the solo was short… I thought he was completely fine and passable in this genre. He didn’t exactly get through to me, but I know he will to many.

Spencer: “Love Don’t Die” - Zoolander has arrived! he is ridiculously good looking, but since his occupation listed is “worship leader”, I guess I am required by law not to mock him too much… I love this song, and he did well, though he just needed a place to go “up and above” after the bridge. But I loved the energy and I think he’s so totally hot right now. Spencer.